Living in Seshnela

Flotsam and Jetsam of the Old West

Rokari Realism

The culture of Rokari Tanisor (the "Kingdom of Seshnela") has regressed
from the inbred, chivalrous, courtly manners of the Second Age which
are still perpetuated on the Castle Coast. The Rokari are, above all,
Realists. Flamboyant displays, elaborate manners, intricate customs
and so forth do not naturally endear themselves to the austere, purifying
Rokari spirit. They creep in at the top, of course - such things always
do - but the "Realistic" Rokari way is blunt, crude, rude: eminently
human.

Life is nasty, brutish and short (unless you're pious), and there's
no point pretending otherwise. Royal policy is at the level of grasping
mediaeval monarchs everywhere: look at the way the King treats his Barons,
and think of Coronation Oaths, and the evils Magna Carta was meant to
moderate. The Holy Rokari Church sees poverty as a virtue, and hoards
wealth and privilege for itself so that others must do without (and
be better for it).

This overt power-clutching self-interest is anathema to the Hrestoli,
both the Old Seshnelans of the Castle Coast (who like to keep up an
appearance of living lives of gay abandon, courtly ceremonial and chivalric
derring-do) and the Idealists of Loskalm (who place great importance
in symbols and social ritual as embodiments of the Ideal).

The Rokari scoff at these attitudes, pointing out that they can degenerate
into a facade of virtue, concealing vice and weakness within. "Such
customs are bloated with decay, and conceal more than they reveal,"
the Rokari says. "At least you know where you stand with our King. When
he kicks in your door, destroys your home, carries off your wife and
murders your son, he's just doing what Kings always do. Does dressing
it up make it any easier for you to bear?"

Chivalrous Rokari

Most Rokari "knights" are thugs in armour, and don't bother to disguise
the fact. Of course, you can find some Rokari knights who behave
chivalrously: these are perpetuating the old traditions of Chivalric
behaviour, which are frowned upon by the contemporary establishment.
King Ulianus III briefly revived the spirit of Seshnelan Chivalry in
Rokari Tanisor, but the decline in power which the fai-neant
reign of his son Vikkard of the Tourneys initiated did not endear this
concept to the Powers That Be. [1]

While not overtly "heretical", chivalrous behaviour is not expected,
desired or encouraged. This lack of official sanction, of course, makes
the few "good apples in a rotten barrel" feel even more virtuous about
keeping it up. (And, of course, it gives player character 'chivalrous'
Rokari knights a chance to feel good about themselves).

The Holy Rokari Church

The Rokari Church was born out of a Reformation of the corrupted post-God
Learner church of Seshnela, as a deliberate "Back to Basics" movement.
They are the most consciously old-fashioned rather than the oldest Malkioni
sect, purposely aping the Brithini to cloak themselves in the antique
austerity of the Prophet Himself.

Novelty is generally seen as a Bad Thing by religions (the Lunar Way
being the notable exception): most will go out of their way to adopt
or forge a pedigree stretching back to pure Hrestolism or Malkionism,
in which the recent "Founders" who set up the present Church (the Prophet
Rokar; Saint Siglat the Wise) are in fact Reformers, sweeping
away the accretions of false dogma and irrelevant clutter which hide
True Doctrine from the Faithful.

In our games we have shown the Rokari Church as similar to the "Bad
Papacy" of mediaeval Europe. But the most strident complaints against
the excesses of the senior priests come not from "heretics" but from
the purest Rokari believers. And the heresy of the Flagellant Movement
(the "World of Losers") is taking one aspect of Rokari belief - redemption
in Solace through suffering in this life - to extremes. Although we
ruthlessly persecuted suspected Flagellants in How the West was One,
for a game set in Rokari Seshnela I'd prefer to have them not yet declared
heretical: more a fanatical subcult of Rokarism than anything else.
(Along with the purist, reforming Whyte Wyzards, another splinter-group).

Nolos and Handra

The Duchy of Nolos is similar to a Ralian city-state, given the influence
of the sophisticated Safelstrans upriver. When thinking about the West,
I usually cast Nolos as Provence (with so many foreign influences, looking
like a more sophisticated version of "Mediaeval French" Seshnela but
much smaller than it), and Handra as Venice. [2]

The Castle Coast

The Castle Coasters are a hangover from the God Learner... [thwack!]
I'm sorry, my Lord, I'll start that again.

The Castle Coasters are the last remnant of the virtuous Kingdom of
Seshnela of the First and Second Ages. They have inherited a material
and social culture far more elaborate than their present size and power
would permit: they have marvellous armour and weapons; they have finery
and etiquette; they have a plethora of High Churchly ritual... within
the Castles. Outside is mud, and rain, and peasants in huts, the same
as anywhere else (or perhaps a little worse, for the poverty of the
land). But don't go crying to the Lords to complain...

[1] A bit of historical chrome: Ulianus III
was a Good King (seven feet tall, won wars in Safelster, enemies
all terrified of him), and Vikkard a Weak King (empire crumbled,
hid under his throne, died unpleasantly of a surfeit). Think of Edward
I and II (as seen in Braveheart), though with chivalry strapped
on - as a way of life for the first, an idle amusement for the second.

[2] C'mon, guys: a trading port built by "Renaissance
Italian" Safelstrans in the middle of a marsh...

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